DENYING BENEFITS OF HOME GROWN IN THE USA

The audacity of denying the benefits of home-grown industrial hemp to the American economy

from WIP News Service

The world standard

“Hemp is the standard fiber of the world. It is used to produce more than 5,000 textile products, ranging from rope to fine laces, and the woody “hurds” remaining after the fiber has been removed contain more than seventy-seven per cent cellulose, and can be used to produce more than 25,000 products, ranging from dynamite to Cellophane.” Popular Mechanics, “Billion Dollar Crop”, 1938

The crop is grown in all industrialized nations except one.

European Union subsidizes industrial hemp.

Canadian farmers have been allowed to plant industrial hemp since 1998.

“Hemp was one of the first crops that Champlain planted at Port Royal and later Québec.” Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA)

“If hemp pollinates any nearby marijuana, genetically, the result will always be lower THC marijuana. Marijuana grown close to industrial hemp will produce lower-grade marijuana.” North American Industrial Hemp Council (NAIHC)

“No one would hide marijuana in a hemp field. Marijuana is grown widely spaced to maximize leaves; fiber hemp is grown tightly-spaced to maximize stalk. It’s also the first place the cops would look.” Andy Kerr

Since Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 humping industrial hemp in with marijuana, the DEA has been unable to differentiate between the two.

It is not illegal to grow industrial hemp in the United States; the DEA just refuses to issue licenses.

It’s easy to grow

Hemp is easy to grow “in a variety of climates and soil types,” is “naturally resistant to most pests”, and doesn’t require much in the way of fertilizers.

Hemp prefers a mild climate, humid atmosphere, and a rainfall of at least 25-30 inches per year. “Industrial Hemp: A Cropping Guide For Farmers”, Peter Dragla

Eastern Washington is on “the same latitude as Romania, which is a prime source for industrial hemp. ” Jill Smith, EarthGoods LLC

Industrial hemp was grow on the Palouse. “Marijuana and Hemp: The Untold Story” Thomas Bouril

Better than cotton

“Hemp fibers are longer, stronger, more absorbent and more mildew-resistant than cotton.” NAIHC

“Fabrics made of at least on-half hemp block the sun’s UV rays more effectively than other fabrics.” NAIHC

“Fifty percent of all the world’s pesticides are sprayed on cotton.” Hemp can replace cotton. NAIHC

Hemp softens with each washing, without fibre degradation. As the saying goes: “Hemp doesn’t wear out, it wears in.” hemptraders.com

Hemp is 4 times warmer than cotton, 4 times more water absorbent, has 3 times the tensile strength of cotton. It is also many times more durable and is flame retardant. The Emperor Wears No Clothes, Jack Herer

Hemp breathes well and wicks moisture away from the body better than cotton. Efforts Clothing, Ontario

Better than wood fiber

In 100 days on one acre of land, hemp can “produce the same amount of paper” that four acres of trees produce after 30 years. U.S.D.A.

“Hemp can be pulped using less chemicals than with wood. It is naturally bright and so processing it doesn’t require chlorine bleach nor produces dioxin. NAIHC

Hemp paper is stronger, acid free, has a longer shelf life, and costs less than half as much to process as tree paper. “Hemp Through History” ecomall.com

Hemp paper can be recycled 10 times whereas wood-based paper can only be recycled twice without losing integrity and requiring additional virgin fibre content. “CROPS:Cotton, Hemp, Flax and Kenaf”, oldgrowthfree.com

Good for the environment

Hemp is a renewable, reusable and recyclable resource.

Hemp is the number one biomass producer on planet earth: 10 tons per acre in approximately four months.

“If hemp fibre is processed into durable, long lasting products, the carbon captured will be retained for the lifespan of the product. For these reasons, hemp could emerge as very important in addressing issues of planetary climate change by acting as a carbon sink: in both the field and in finished industrial and consumer products.” CHTA

Hemp helps clean up soil by bonding heavy metals to the fibre.

Hemp actually revitalizes the soil it grows in, both by aerating the soil and through the deposit of carbon dioxide in to it.

“Hemp has also been used as a plough down or green manure crop to add organic matter to the soil.” Just Live Greener

Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forests and mineral products in the annual growth of the fields? I know from experience that many of the raw materials of industry which are stripped from the forest and the mines can be obtained from annual crops grown on the farm. – Henry Ford

Some other uses

Hemp cement, made from mixes of core fibre and minerals such as lime and sand, is superior in insulation values, strength, and breathability.

Hemp seeds are pressed for oil that can be used for food, industrial lubrication, diesel fuel, paints, varnishes and more. Hempfarm.org

Economic benefit

“Making hemp cultivation legal would funnel millions of dollars spent on imported hemp back into the ailing U.S. economy.” Natural Home Magazine

Biodiesel from hemp reduces the United States’ dependence on foreign petroleum.

With a North American market that exceeds $300 million in annual retail sales, industrial hemp could generate thousands of sustainable new jobs, helping America to get back on track. Dara Colwell

The bulk and weight of hemp make transportation costs high. Hemp production cannot be centralized as production needs to be decentralized. To be profiable, hemp needs to be processed within 25 to 50 miles of where it has been grown. Center for Business and Economic Research, U of Kentucky